What is a hosepipe ban? How does it affect me?

Hannah Kate Costello

Uisce Éireann has set a six-week hosepipe ban for six areas across the country to protect water supplies.

The water conservation order is for Dublin, south Tipperary, parts of Kildare, Meath, Wexford and Wicklow.

It has been issued due to the “exceptionally warm and dry weather”.

The ban will begin shortly after midnight on Thursday and will remain in place until August 26th.

What is a hosepipe ban?

It is essentially a legal water-conservation order set by Uisce Éireann proscribing the use of water in specific ways which are deemed non-essential.

It is in place at times when water supplies are strained, particularly in long spells of dry weather.

Where and when does it apply?

Uisce Éireann has issued one that takes effect from Thursday, July 16th, and will remain in force, for now, until August 26th in Dublin, large parts of Wicklow, Kildare, Meath, Wexford and south Tipperary.

It says further bans are being actively considered for other areas of the country.

Night-time restrictions are also in place on 39 water supplies. These mainly affect parts of Donegal, Cavan, Longford, Meath, Galway, Laois, Tipperary, Limerick, Kerry, Cork, Waterford, Kilkenny and Wexford.

What does it ban?

As the vernacular indicates, it bans the use of a hosepipe to water gardens, wash cars or private leisure boats, fill or maintain ponds or fountains – except where there are fish – and fill or maintain personal swimming and paddling pools.

Paddling pools, however, may be filled from the tap by hand-held containers.

Dr Jenny Lawler of DCU's Water Institute told RTÉ Radio One's Today with David McCullagh that hosepipe bans work, delivering a big reduction in the discretionary outdoor usage of the system if implemented early enough in a hot spell.

Lawler said no one is suggesting you let your plants die, but you don't need a hose to water a garden. Instead, turn to the watering can. "It's less convenient, but it saves 80 per cent of the water used. It's massive. A hose will use about 15 litres a minute. Think about how long it would take you to fill your watering can and use that amount of water. It really does make a huge amount of difference."

She said from a horticulture perspective, it's also better, as with a watering can, you tend to apply the water to the soil and roots, not spray it over the roots and let it evaporate. For the car, Lawler said if you use a bucket and a sponge, "you'll only use maybe 5 or 10 litres of water versus more than 100 litres of water at a single car wash."

Why bother including them in the ban then?

It is a self-limiting exercise. The thinking is that after the average householder has run back and forth a few dozen times with jugs of water from the tap, they’ll give up and tell the kids to forget about deep diving and enjoy the few inches of splashing.

A hosepipe makes it too easy and tempting to fill a pool to the brim or allow it to overflow on occasion.

Plus, running one for 15 minutes uses about a quarter of the water an average family uses for all their needs in a day.

Never mind paddling pools – do I have to let my leafy green plants wither and die?

No, you may use a watering can and, if possible, gather pre-used water – from washing dishes or rinsing clothes, for example – so much the better. And you can wash your car with a bucket of water and a sponge rather than a hose.

Why should I comply? 

The current hot and dry spell has driven very high water use. Uisce Éireann has urged people to curtail their non-essential water use to protect supplies for homes, hospitals, vulnerable customers and essential services.

They are appealing to customers around the country to reuse household water, like for cleaning dishes, in the garden, check for any leaks, and take shorter showers.

What is the penalty for breaching the order?

A standard fine of €125 applies to each offence and, if the matter is serious enough to reach court, a fine of up to €5,000 can be imposed on conviction.

How are breaches discovered?

Members of the public sometimes report banned activities on Uisce Éireann’s incident notification line.

Uisce Éireann also has flow meters that help pinpoint leaks by detecting unusually high water flow, thereby flagging suspicious usage.

What is the point in issuing orders if, generally, they are never fully enforced?

The order at least has the potential to lay down the law.

Picture the public reaction if someone were blatantly ignoring the water crisis and filling their indoor and outdoor matching lap pools to overflowing every second day, and all Uisce Éireann could do was ask them nicely not to.

So if you spot a neighbour using a hosepipe during the ban, who do you call?

Uisce Éireann say that members of the public can report suspected breaches via its 24-hour customer care line at 1800 278 278 or through its online social channels.